Bed motion for printing presses



March 30, 1943. F, UPHAM BED MOTION FOR PRINTING rREss s Filed Sept. 9; 1 940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1-- March 30; 1943. H M 2,315,142

BED MOTION FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Sept 9, 1940 4 Sheets -Sheet 2 GEAR TEA/N AX/s Ok/NTEENAL SEGMENT.

March 30, 1943.

B. F. UPHA M BED MOTION FOR PRINTIiJG PRESSES Eiled Sept. 9, 1940 4 she ts-sheets B. F. UPHAM March so, 1943. 2,315,142

BED MOT-ION FOR iRINTING PRESSES I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Spt. 9. 1940 Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE BED MOTION FOR PRINTING rnsss zs ari 1- Urban Gr O ta i nad Application September 9, 1940, Serial No. 356,974

19 Claim- This invention is an improvement in two-toone bed motions forprinting presses and other machines having reciprocating beds, and the principal object thereof is toprovide a simple 'novel, and efficient high speed be motion in which the bed is provided with a rack driven by a pinion which is rotated to drive the bed at uniform speed during the major portion of each stroke, the bed being reversed at the ends of each stroke by novel means wherebythe'bed gradually decelerated until stopped, and then the bed is accelerated in the opposite direction until the pinion imparts to the bed the uniform part f its movement on such stroke.

My invention provides novel means for actuating the bed driving pinion to drive and reverse same at proper times; novel means, including oscillatory segments, for reversing the bed; "and novel means for actuating said'segments. The invention further provides a novel oscillating weight for assisting in the deceleration, stoppage and acceleration of the bed during the reversals thereof, whereby the strains on the bed motion during reversal are materially lessened; said weight also counterbalanc ing the movement of the bed.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use th same; and will summarize in the claims, the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, with bed removed, shovTing one practical embodiment of my invention as applied to a printing press.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22, Fig. 6.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the angular offset of the axis of the internal gear segment from the axis of the gear train.

Figs. 4-11 inclusive are diagrammatic views i1- lustrating various positions of the bed driving and reversing elements during one complete cycle of operations of the press.

The bed motion illustrated in the drawings is of the type commonly known as -two-to-o-ne, in

which the bed moves in one direction at a uni form speed for approximately 25 /2% of a complete cycle of operation of the press, is then reversed during approximately 24 /2% of such cycle, and is then moved in the opposite direction at uniform speed during approximately 25 of such cycle, and is then again reversed during the re maining approximate 24 of such cycle.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the press bed I is reciprocably mounted in a frame 2, preferably on the customary sliders guided in ways formed in th sides of the frame in the usual manner. The bed has a rack Ia on its underside preferably disposed on the axis thereof, said rack meshing with a pinion 3 mounted on a shaft 4 journaled in a boss 2a of frame 2 extending inwardly towards the center of the frame. On one end of shaft 4 is a gear 5 disposed at the outside of the frame and in constant mesh with a gear 6 on a shaft I journaled in the frames belowbut parallel with shaft 4, the gears 5 and 6 being preferably but not necessarily of the same size.

Mounted on a stub shaft 8 carried by a bracket 9 (Figs. 2and 4) mounted on the side of the press frame directly overlying gears 5 and 6, is a larger gear It, said'stub shaft being disposedsubstantially at the center of a line drawn through the gears 5 and 6 and through the axis of said, gears 5 and 6, larger gear Hi meshing with a driving gear II of half the diameter of gear Iii, said gear I I bein mounted on a shaft or stub I2 journaled in the frame, gear I I being driven in any desired manner such as by drive pinion I3' (Figs. 4-11) or by a belt pulley or the like mounted on shaft Gear I0 is spaced from the side of the press frame and overlies internieshing gears 5 and'li. On the inner face'of gear I0 is an internal gear segment Illa of arcuate length approximately '90", which segment Illa is adapted to alternately mesh with intermeshing v ears 5 and 6 as gear I0 is rotated by driving gear II. When segment Illa is in mesh with gear 5, pinion 3 which constantly meshes with rack I Ia of bed I will drive the bed in one direction at constant speed. The rotating segment Illa will then pass out of mesh with gear 5 and after a brief interval will mesh with gear 5; and since gear 6 is in constant mesh With gear 5. pinion 3 or shaft 4 will be caused to rotate in the opposite direction thereby causing bed I to travel at uniform spee in said opposite direction. During the interval that segment Illa. is out of mesh with both gears 5 and 6, pinion 3 is merely rotated by and with the movement of the rack Ia on bed I thereby imparting corresponding rotation to shaft 7 through shaft 4 and intermeshing gears 5 and E; and during said interval the bed is decelerated, stopped, and accelerated in the opposite direction as hereinafter described.

Preferably the axis of gear III which carries internal gear segment Iila is offset slightly from the same diametrical line a:y therefore bisects the space between diametrically opposite teeth 60, 6d of gear 6. Therefore while the advancing segment Illa (Fig. 3) would mesh properly with the teeth at the top of gear 5, the segment would not properly mesh with the teeth at the bottom of gear 5 unless the axis of gear ID was offset slightly from the diametrical line 31-11, as shown in Fig. 3,

by such amount that the diametrical line a:-z

of gear l would also bisect a tooth Bd (or 60) of gear '5 in the same manner that line x-z bisects tooth a of gear 5, the angular offset between lines :cy-and :c-az being therefore equal to half the pitch of the "teeth of gears 5 and 6; Similarly the axis of the gear "6 might be offset from the diametrical line :cz of gear Ill, an equal angular amount to accomplish the same result, 1. e., to prevent the segment Illa when approaching gear 6 from riding on the tops of the teeth of said gear.

Journaled in frame 2 parallel with and spaced from shaft 4 is a rock shaft I4 carrying a crank arm' I5 extending outwardly slightly beyond the fac .of gear I0,the outer end of arm I5 being connected by connecting rod I6 to a pin I la projecting from the face of driving gear I I, whereby asthe gear 9 is rotated shaft I4 will be oscillated. Gears I0 and II are of ratio 2:1 so that gear II willmake one complete revolution while the bed is moving between the extreme limits of its stroke in either -direction. Pin .IIa is so disposed on 7 gear II that when the bed I is in either extreme limit of its stroke, the pin ,I I a will be at the end of its dead center,'i. e., the horizontal diameter of gear Il, adjacent the gear III as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, so that'the reversal of the direction of movement or bed I will be effected by a pull on connecting rod I6 rather than a push on said rod, thereby.v eliminating any tendency to bend 'or buckle rod I6.

On shaft 4 between pinion 3 and the inner face of boss 2a, is a gear segment 41: adapted to mesh with a. gear segment I! mounted upon the shaft I4 during a portion of the cycle of operations ofthe bed motion. Gear segment 41: is so disposed on shaft 4 that as the bed nears one end of its stroke and as the internal gear segment Illa of gear I0 passes out of mesh with the gear 6, the

pinion segment 4.1: will come into mesh with the oscillating segment I! on shaft I 4, and as the shaft I4 is oscillated by the connecting rod I6 the segments I1 and 4a: will cause th bed to deoelerate, come to rest, and then accelerate in the opposite direction of movement, whereupon the internalgear segment Illa of gear ID will come into mesh with gear 5 as segments I1 and 41: roll out of mesh so that continued movement of the bed in such direction will be effected directly by gear 5 which drives the bed I at constant speed until it approaches the opposite end of itsstroke. V e

As the bed approaches the opposite end of its stroke, the segments ll and 40: remain out of mesh, and a second segment I8 also'mounted on shaft I4 directly below rack lot of bed I, will by oscillation. of shaft I4 roll intomesh with said rack just as the internal gear segment. Illa is:

moving out of mesh with gear 5, and the bed will be decelerated, come to rest, and then accelerated in the opposite direction until the segment IIJa of gear Ill moves into mesh with gear 6, which imparts movement to the bed at uniform speed on said return stroke, whereupon oscillation of shaft I4 will move segmentIS out of mesh with rack Ia.

When presses as heretofore made are operated at high. speed, the momentumof the bed tends to cause the press to slide alongthe floor in the direction of movement of the bed; also severe strains during reversal are produced on the bed motion and other parts of the press mechanism. In my invention, in order to prevent sliding of the press, and to lessen strains and assist in reversals of the bed, I provide an eccentric weight which is oscillated on its axis in opposite directions to .the travel of the bed, which weight acts as a counterbalance to the bed during reversals thereofland assists in the deceleration of the bed before the completion of the stroke in either .direction, and also assists in acceleration of the bed in thereverse direction at the beginning of the return stroke. Shaft I of gear 6 in my bed motion will make less than one complet revolution during each stroke of the bed I, since gear 6 is approximately one-half the diameter of the gear ID and since segment Illa is approximately arcuatelength; and therefore an eccentric semi-cylindricalweight I9 is applied to shaft I which always rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of bed I, said weight being of sufliciently small radius that it may oscillate below bed .I. I Weight I9 is conveniently adjustably clamped or otherwise secured to shaft 1 adjacent one-side of the frame 2, and is so mountedon shaft I that same is suspended directlybelow shaft I when bed I is at approximately the mid-point of its stroke whereby when the bed approaches either end of its stroke the weight Twill berotating in an upwardly direction to assist in decelerating the bed; and after the bed and weight havebeen stopped and reversed the weight will be rotating downwardly to assist in accelerating the movement of the bed in the opposite direction.

The use of the weight I9 in addition to the above function also serves to counterbalance the frame, 1. e., the weight l9 provides a heavy mass always moving in a direction at all times opposite to the movement of the bed so as to offset any tendency of the frame 2 to slide along the floor due to the inertia of the bed and other moving parts, which is a valuable feature in that it permits the press to be operated at substantially higher speeds without any tendency to creep along the floor, which tendency even when a press is anchored, eventually causes the anchorage to break down.

. Operation i Figs. 4 to 11 illustrate the relative positions assumed, by the parts of the bed motion during a complete cycle of operations. In Fig. 4 the bed I has stopped at its extreme left-hand limit. Gear II is, however, rotating in the direction of the arrow and hence the meshing gear I0 is carrying internal gear Illa towards the top of gear 5 but is out of mesh with either gear 6 and gear 5. Rock shaft I4 is at its extreme right-hand limit and has come to rest, but segment 4.1: on shaft 4 is shown in mesh with segment I"! of rock shaft I4 and hence the bed has just come to rest and 1. is on the point of being reversed by the movement of connecting rod I6 after gear II has rotated pin IIa upwardly past its dead center position. The weight I9. on shaft 1- is also at rest in its raised position; but just previous to stopping the bed said weight had been swinging upward-1y and assisting in decelerating of the bed, said weight moving in the opposite direction from the movement of the bed during deceleration.

When pivot Ila of connecting rod I6 starts to rise, the segment I! will start to rock downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 thereby accelerating the gear 3 in the same direction of rotation as gear III, the weight I9 swinging downwardly thus assisting in accelerating the bed, and said weight rotating in the opposite direction from the movement of the bed. When the internal segment Ilia is advanced by rotation of gear II into mesh with the gear 5 as shown in Fig. 5 the bed I will be moved at uniform speed on its stroke to a point adjacent the opposite end of said stroke, but as the segment Illa meshes with gear 5, the segments 43: and. I! will have rocked out of mesh as shown in Fig. 5 and same will remain out of mesh until the bed is returned to the same position near the end of its return stroke.

In Fig. 6 the parts are shown in the positions assumed when the bed is at the approximate center of its stroke, the rock shaft I 4 now being at rest and the weight I9 in its lowermost position but rotating in a direction opposite to the movement of the bed.

Fig. 7 shows the bed approaching the opposite end of its stroke, the segment Illa being on the point of passing out of mesh with the gear 5. Connecting rod I6 has moved the segment I8 upwardly so as to just mesh with rack la on the bed, and the weight I9 is swinging upwardly to assist in deceleration of the bed, the weight moving in a direction opposite to the movement of the bed.

Further rotation of gear I I will bring the parts into position shown in Fig. 8 wherein the bed is in its extreme right hand limit of movement, and the bed I, gear 3, rock shaft I4, and weight I9 are at rest; and segment Iila is out of mesh with either gear 5 and 6. but is moving towards gear 6. Further rotation of gear II will cause rock shaft I4 to swing downwardly thus reversing the bed, the weight I9 also starting to swing downwardly to assist in accelerating the bed, butsaid weight I9 rotating in a direction opposite from the movement of the bed to counterbalance the momentum thereof.

In Fig. 9 the bed is shown moving on its return stroke, the segment I8 is moving downwardly in the direction'of the arrow and being just on the point of disengaging from rack Ia; while the segment Illa is now just meshing with gear 6.

In Fig. 10 the bed has reached its approximately midposition, being moved at constant speed by gear 6 through gear 5, shaft 4, and pinion 3.

In Fig. 11 the bed is nearing completion of its return stroke. Segment I7 is just on the point of meshing with segment 41: on shaft 4, and the internal gear segment Illa is just on the point of becoming disengaged from gear 6. Further rotation of gear II will again bring the parts into their respective positions shown in Fig. 4, where upon the cycle of operations will be repeated.

I have thus provided a two-to-one bed motion in which the crank pin Ila makes two complete revolutions during each press cycle, and

wherein the reversal of the bed is effected ateach end of the stroke while the crank pin Ila is travelling through the same identical arcuate limits at the same, side of shaft I2. This feature is important since it results in a bed motion in which both reversals are alike and identically the same, thus eliminating the so-called sweet and sour strokes required for reversing the bed in a three-to-one bed motion, such as shown in my copending application Serial No. 283,906, filed July 11, 1939, (now U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,244,979) also obviating the necessity of providing a, so-called straight-line motion for the connecting rod which serves to swing the reversing segments such as disclosed in my aforesaid application.

-I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a bed motion, a bed rack, a bed driving pinion meshing with said rack; means for alternately rotating said pinion at uniform speed in opposite directions; a segment rotatable with said pinion; a pair of oscillatory segments; and means for oscillating said pair whereby one segment of the pair will engage the pinion segment and cause reversal of the bed at one end of said uniform bed movement, and the other segment will engage the rack and cause reversal of the bed at the otherend of said uniform bed movement; said oscillatory segments engaging the pinion segment and rack respectively while the pinion is disengaged from the said rotating means.

2. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 1, said pinion rotating means comprising a gear rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing ,With said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears; and means for rotating said internal gear segment.

3. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 1, said pinion rotating means comprising a gear rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment having its axis of rotation disposed substantially at the mid-point of the line passing through the gears and through the centers thereof, said internal gear segment alternately meshing with said first and second gears; and means for rotating said internal gear segment. I

4. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 1, said pinion rotating means comprising a gear rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears; the axis of said internal gear segment crossing the axis passing through the centers of said first and second gears at one end of the latter, and being offset at the other end an amount equal to half the tooth pitch of said gears; and means for rotating said internal gear segment.

5. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 1, said pinion rotating means including a gear rotating constantly in the same direction; a second gear meshing with said first gear and of half the diameter thereof; a rock shaft carrying said pair of oscillating segments; an arm on said rock shaft; and a connecting rod connecting said arm with a pin on said second gear whereby the pin will make one complete revolution fo each stroke of the bed.

6. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 1, said inion rotating means including a gear rotating constantly in the same direction; a Second gear meshing with said first gear and of half the diameter thereof; a rock shaft carrying said pair of oscillating segments; an arm on said rock shaft; and. a connecting rod connecting said arm with a pin on said second gear so disposed that when the bed is at either extreme limit of its stroke the pin will be at such dead end that reversal of the bed will be effected by a pull on the connecting rod. I

7. In a bed motion asset forth in claim 1, a shaft constantly rotating at the same angular speed but in the opposite direction from the pinion; and an oscillating weight on said shaft adapted to assist in deceleration of the bed during reversals thereof, and to assist in acceleration of the bed 'during the beginning of each stroke, and to counterbalance the momentum of the bed.

8. In a bed motion, a reciprocating bed, a bed driving gear, a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears for alternately rotating said first gear at uniform speed in opposite directions; a crank driven connecting rod making two complete identical movements for each cycle of the bed; and a pair of reversing members actuated by the connecting rod for causing reversals of the bed at each end of said uniform bed movement and while the crank is travelling through the same identical arcuate limits.

9. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 8, said internal gear segment having its axis disposed substantially at the mid-point of the line passing through the gears and through the centers thereof; and a driven gear for rotating said internal gear segment and car-rying'the said crank, said driven gear making two revolutions for each revolution of the internal gear segment.

10. In a bed motion as set forthin claim 8, the axis of said internal gear segment crossing the axis passing through the centers of said first and second gears at one end of the latter, and

being ofiset at the otherend an amountequal to half the tooth pitch of said gears. i

11. In a bed motion, a bed rack, a bed driving pinion meshing with said rack: a gear'rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears for alternately rotating said pinion at uniform speed in opposite directions; and means for causing reversals of the bed at'each end of said uniform bed movement, said means being operative while the internal gear segment is disengaged from the first and second gears; said pinion having a segment; and said bed reversing means comprising a relatively fixed pair of oscillatory segments adjacent the pinion and adapted to engage the pinion segment and rack respectively near their respective ends" of the bed strokes; and means for oscillating the pair of segments.

12. In a bed motion, a bed rack, a bed driving pinion meshing with said rack; a gear rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears for alternately rotating said pinion at uniform speed in opposite directions; and means for causing reversals of the bed at each end of said uniform bed movement, said means being operative while the internal gear segment is disengaged'from the first and second gears; said pinion rotating means including a gear; and said bed reversing means comprising a segment on the pinion; a relatively fixed pair of oscillating segments; and a connecting rod connecting said pair of segments with a pin on said pinion rotating gear.

13. In a bed motion, a bed rack, a bed driving pinion meshing with said rack; a gear rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears for alternately rotating said pinion at uniform speed in opposite directions; and means for causing reversals of the bed at each end of said uniform bed movement, said means being operative while the internal gear segment is disengaged from the first and second gears; a continuously rotated gear carrying said internal gear segment; a second gear meshing with said first gear and of half the diameter thereof; and

said bed reversing means comprising a segment on the pinion; a relatively fixed pair of oscillating segments adapted to engage the rack and pinion segment respectively; and a connecting rod connecting said pair of segments with a pin on said second gear so disposed that when the bed is at either extreme limit of its stroke the pin will be at such dead end that reversal of the bed will be effected by a pull on the connecting rod.

14. In a bed motion, a bed rack, a bed driving pinion meshing with said rack; a gear rotatable with said pinion; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears for alternately rotating said pinion at uniform speed in opposite directions; and means for causing reversals of the bed at each end of said uniform bed movement, said means being operative While the internal gear segment is disengaged from the first and second gears; a shaft carrying said second gear and constantly rotating at the same angular speed but in the opposite direction from the pinion; and an oscillating weight on said shaft adapted to assist in deceleration of the bed during reversals thereof, and to assist in acceleration of the bed during the beginning of each stroke, and to counterbalance momentum of the bed; i

15. In combination, a driving pinion; a shaft carrying said pinion; a gear on said shaft; a second gear meshing with said first gear; an internal gear segment having its axis of rotation disposed substantially at the mid-point of the line passing through the gears and through the centers thereof adapted to alternately mesh with said first and second gears; means for rotating said internal gear segment; the axis of said internal gear segment crossing the axis passing through the centers of said first and second gears at one end of the latter, and being offset at the other end an amount equal to half the tooth pitch of said gears.

16. In a bed motion, a bed rack, a bed driving pinion meshing with said rack; means for alternately rotating said pinion at uniform speed in opposite directions; a segment carried by said pinion; a pair of relatively fixed oscillating segments, one segment being adapted to engage said pinion segment and cause reversal of the bed at one end of said uniform movement, and the other segment being adapted to engage the rack and cause reversal of the bed at the other end of said uniform movement; said pinion rotating means including a constantly rotating gear adapted to make one revolution for each stroke of the bed; and a connecting rod connecting said pair of segments with a pin on said gear so disposed that when the bed is at either extreme limit of its stroke the pin will be at such dead end that reversal of the bed will be effected by a pull on the connecting rod.

17. In a bed motion as set forth in claim 16, said pinion rotating means including a shaft constantly rotating at the same angular speed but in the opposite direction from the pinion; and an oscillating weight on said shaft adapted to assist in deceleration of the bed during reversals thereof, and to assist in acceleration of the bed during the beginning of each stroke, and to counterbalance momentum of the bed.

18. In combination, a reciprocating bed, means for moving the bed at uniform speed on each stroke; a crank making two complete rotations for each cycle of the bed; and means actuated by the crank for reversing the bed at the ends of each stroke, whereby the reversals will be effected at each end of the stroke while the crank is travelling through the same identical arcuate limits.

19. In combination, a reciprocating bed; means for moving the bed at uniform speed on each stroke; a crank making two complete rotations for each cycle of the bed; a pair of reversing members actuated by the crank for reversing the bed at the end of each stroke, whereby the reversals will be effected at each end of the stroke while the crank is travelling through the same identical arcuate limits.

BURT F. UPHAM. 

